Unitary ice cube maker and compressor



June 8, 1965 w. c. LUNDSTROM 3,187,516

UNITARY 1cm CUBE MAKER AND COMPRESSOR Filed Sept/20, 1962 s Sheets-Sheet s United States Patent 3,187,516 UNITARY ICE (IUBE MAKER AND COMFRESSGR William C. Lundstroin, Rte. 3, Park Rapids, Minn. Filed Sept. 20, 1962,.Ser. No. 225,008

8 Claims. (Cl. 62-.-138) The present invention relates to ice making machines, and more particularly to ice cube'maki-ng machines capable of unattended continuous production of ice. patent is a continuation-in-part of Patent No. 3,055,185, which issued on an application filed May 23, 1960.

The inventors above referred to patent discloses an ice cube making machine in which a rotatable ice making unit is mounted-within a cabinet. The ice making unit has two surfaces disposed at an acute angle to each other, one of the surfaces being at an acute angle to the horizontal plane and the lower surface being approximately on the horizontal plane. Both of the surfaces are provided with cups for the formation. of ice cubes, and the upper surface is positioned beneath a water distribu-. tion pipe. This upper surface is refrigerated, and water falling on the surface freezes Within the cups to form a plurality of ice cubes. When the ice cubes are formed, the weight of the ice thus formed imbalances the ice making unit causing it to rotate. to position. the upper surface in the horizontal plane and to position the surface Whichwas formerly in the horizontal plane at an angle to thehorizontal plane andabove. the surface which now is disposed approximately in the horizontal plane. The surface at an angle of the horizontal plane is now in a position to receive water from the distribution system and form ice cubes, but the surface which is in the horizontal plane-is supplied with. heat from the hot side of the refrigeration cycle to'releasethe cubes.

In the above mentioned patent, anurnber of mechanisms are illustrated for coupling a stationary compressor to the rotatable ice forming unit. In one of these; mechanisms, flexible tubes extend. between the compressor unit This i 3,187,516 Patented June 8, 1965 mice it). A, second wall 26 of the cabinet 19 is disposed.

parallel to the first wall 24 and interconnects with a horizontal wall 28 which extends between the wall 26 and a second outside wall SE) of thecabinet 1b which is The cabinet It also has a front wall 32, a back wall. 33, and a top wall 34. The wall 36', top wall 34, wall 26, wall 28, wall 32 and wall 33 and the ice making unit; In another embodiment oftheinvention, the mounting tubes for the icemaking unit are capable of sustaining twisting. However, the inventor has longrecognized that the materials whichpermit the rotatable coupling between the ice making unit and the stationary compressor unit are subject to aging and -dete-, rioration which could result in refrigerant leaks;

It is an object of the present invention to provide an ice making machine with a rotatable. ice making unit which avoids the necessity of flexible coupling means for the refrigerant between the compressor unit and the ice making unit.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an ice making machine with a rotatable ice making unit anda compressor unit which is coupled to the ice making unit by rigid tubing.

It is a further object of the present invention to proform a rectangular compartment 36 above the bin 12 and adjacent to the ice making unit 18-.

The wall 26 has an opening 33 therein, and the shaft 2t) of the ice making unit 18 extends through the opening, thereby journaling the ice making unit for rotation between the walls 24 and 26; The shaft 24) extends to a compressor unit 42 mounted on one end of the shaft Ztlwithin the compartment 36. The compressor unit 42 has a coil 44 surrounding the unit, and also a fan motor 46 mounted thereon. The fan motor 46 is connected to a fan 48 which is coaxial with the shaft 2% and confronts an opening 5:) in the wall 3% of the cabinet It).

The compressor unit 42 includes an electric motor, not shown, and the electric motor is connected to a powerline by an electrical'cable 52 which is Wound in'a loose helix. The electrical cable 52 is also connected to the fan motor 46 to drive the fan. Thetop wall 34 of the cabinet 19 is provided with an opening 54to permit circulation of air through the compartment 36. A cylindrical shroud 55 is mounted on the wall '30 about the opening 50 and extends about the coil 44. In operation, the fan d3 forces air into the compartment 36 to cool the coil 44, theair then: exiting through the opening 54. It is to be understood that the front and back walls 32 and 33 may' also have openings for exhaust of air.

' The ice cube forming unit 18 is positioned immediately beneath a water distributor 56 in the form of a straight perforated tube mounted. on the cabinet 10, and the excess water passing over the ice cube forming unit 18 strikes one of two water collecting troughs 58 and 60 located beneath the ice cube forming unit 18 aligned with the edge of the upper or inclined surface to catch water. The water troughs 58 and 66 are connected with a pump and float assembly 62 mounted on the. wall 24 of the cabinet 19, and the excess water is returned to this assembly A pipe 64 from a water main is also connected to this assembly to provide additional water for the refrigerating cycle, and the assembly 62 is also connected to the water distributor 56 through a pipe 66.

The ice cube making unit 18 is provided with two i'ce freezing surfaces 68 and 70 which are disposed at vide a gravity controlled ice cube making machine in i which a rotatable ice making unit is coupled to a compressor unit by rigid tubing.

7 These and further objects of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from a further consideration of this disclosure, particularly when viewed in the light of the drawings, in which: FIGURE 1 is a vertical sectional view of an ice cube maker constructed according to the teachings of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2.-2 of FIGURE 1 illustrating the ice making unit;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIGURE .1.

In FIGURE 1, the icecube making machine is illusan acute angle relative to each other. The surfaces 68 and 70 are formed by a plurality of rectangular base plates 69 of thermally conducting material, and each base plate 69 forms thebottom of a cup 71 which shapes one of the ice cubes being produced. Tubes 72 and 74 are mounted on the confronting surfaces of the plates 69 of the surfaces 68 and 70, respectively, and are connected in a refrigerant circuit which will be described hereinafter. Each cup 71 has four walls .80 wh ch extend outwardly from the base plate 69 to form the cups, and .the-walls'fill of each cup flare slightly outwardly. The ends of the walls of each cup remote from the base plate 69 are mounted on the ends of the walls of adjacent cups 71 to form an assembly, and the two assemblies are designated 82 and 83. A tube 84 is disposed between the cups of assembly 82 and a tube 85 is disposed between the walls 80 of the cups of assembly 83. The tubes 84 and 85 are connected in the re- 3 frigeration circuit to be described. The base plates 69 and the walls 80 and 82 are formed of thermally conducting material.

The two cup assemblies 82 and 83 are assembled into the ice making unit 1 8 by means of a front plate 86, a back plate 88, and .a pair of side walls 96 and 92. The rod 20 is mounted on the side plates 90 and 92 and is the sole mounting of the ice making unit 18 on the cabinetltl. The bearing 22 is provided with a shoulder 94 confronting the ice making unit 18, and a pm 96 protrudes from the rod 20 to form a rotational stop. An identical shoulder is disposed on'the Opposite side of the bearing 22 from that illustrated in FIGURE 1, and provides a limitation on the rotation of the ice making unit 1'8 to approximately 135 degrees.

The rod 26 has a hollow cylindrical cavity 98 disposed therein, and a tube 160 is disposed coaxially within the cavity 98. The tube 100 is connected to the low pressure side of the compressor 42, so that the compressor 412 receives fluid refrigerant at low pressure, pressurizes the refrigerant, and thereafter directs the refrigerant into the coil 44. The refrigerant is cooled in the coil '44 and flows from the end of the coil 44 through a tube 102 into an aperture 104 in the rod 28}. Flow of the high pressure refrigerant in the rod 20 is stopped by a disc 106 which is sealed between the interior surface of the rod 20 and the exterior surface of the tube 100, and the high pressure refrigerant exits from the interior of the rod 26 through an aperture 168 disposed adjacent to the disc 166. A gravity actuated two-way valve 110 is connected to the aperture 108 through a tube 112.

. The gravity actuated valve .110 has a housing 114 which is cylindrical in shape and has end plates 116 and 11 8. The axis of the cylindrical housing 114- is disposed normal to the rod 20 on a plane bisecting the angle between the refrigerant surfaces 68 and '70. The valve 110 has a control shaft 1211i which is pivotally mounted at one cylindrical housing 114 adjacent to the endon the end plate 118 by' a pin .122 disposed parallel to the surfaces 68 and 70. A weight 124 is mounted on the other end of the rod 120 (and causes the rod 120 to pivot toward the surfaces 63 or '70disposed in approximatelyhorizontal planes. The housing 114 is provided with a pair of apertures 1'26 and 128 disposed on an axis normal to the central axis of the cylindrical housing :1114 and in a plane '70. Stems 1-30 and 132 extend inwardly from the apertures 126 and 1-28, respectively, and the stems 131 and 1312 have valve seats 134 and 136 confronting the rod 126. A cylindrical closure member 138 is mounted on the rod 120 between the pin .122 and the we ght 1 24 in alignment with the valve seats 134 and 136, and the closure member 138 is provided with pointed ends adapted to seal when in abutment with the valve seats 134 or 136.

The tube 112 communicates with the interior of the housing 114 of the gravity actuated valve 110 through an aperture 140 in theend plate 116, and in this manner, the cooled high pressure refrigerant enters the housing 1 14. The closure member 138 seals against the valve seat disposed adjacent to the horizontal surface 68 or 74 and in FIGURE 2, the closure member 138 is sealed against the valve seat 136 adjacent to the surface is. As a result, the stem 130 adjacent to the suface 68 is open, and the aperture 126 communicating with the stem 130 is connected-to the tube 85 through a't-ube 142. The high pressure refrigerant therefore flows adjacent to the surface 70, and since the high pressure refrigerant is at a relatively high temperature, any ice Within the cups 71 adjacent to the surface 70 will :be melted and re-heated. It is thus apparent that the cooling of the refrigerantadjacent to the surface 70 augments the cooling of the refrigerant received in the coil 44.

normal to the surfaces68 and The end of the tube 85 opposite the gravity actuated valve 11th is connected to a capillary tube 144 which conducts the cooled high pressure refrigerant to the end of the tube 72 adjacent to the rear plate 88, and also reduces the pressure of the refrigerant to vaporize the refrigerant.

The low pressure refrigerant flows through the tube 72 which is adjacent to the surface 6 8, to the lower end of this tube 72, and a tube 146, and a port 14-7 thereafter conducts the low pressure refrigerant to a reservoir or tank 148 mounted on the rear wall '88 of the ice ma ing unit 18. As illustrated in FIGURE 2, the tube 146 enters the reservoir 148 at a point adjacent to the surface '70, so that the low pressure refrigerant may flow by action of gravity into the reservoir .148. The reservo'ir' 148 also is provided with .a tube 150 which communicates centrally of the reservoir 148 and is connected to the sleeve 100 within the rod 20. The tube 160 enters the rod 20 through an aperture 152,-and the refrigerant is prevented from ilowing down the rod 20 in a direction away from the compressor 42 by a circular plate 154- which is sealed across the interior of the rod 20. A disc 156 has a central aperture sealed about the sleeve 10!) and is sealed to the interior surface of the rod 20 to require the refrigerant to flow down the sleeve 1% to the compressor 42 and complete the refrigeration cycle.

:The combination float and pump assembly 62 delivers water to the distributor 56, and this water is permitted to flow through the perforations of the distributor to fall upon the surface disposedat an angle to the horizontal plane, this surface being the surface 68 in FIG- URE 2. Because of the fact that the low pressure refrigerant is flowing through the tube 7 2, the water will become frozen in the cups 71 adjacent to the surface 68. The reference numeral 158 indicates the dispos tion of water inthe cups 7-1 adjacent to the surface 68, and as this water freezes, the entire cups become filled with ice. The ice making unit 1 8 is balanced so that it remains in the position indicated in FIGURE 2 with water partial-1y filling the cups as indicated :by the refcren'ce'158. A weight 160 mounted on the back plat-e 88 is selected to achieve this balance. Inthis position, the pin 96 mounted on the rod 2t) is in abutment with one of the shoulders 94 of the bearing 22. As ice fills the region of the cups 71 above the level of the water indicated by the reference numeral 158, the Weight of the ice in the cups 71 of the assembly '82 shifts the center of gravity from the right side of the rod 20 to the left side of the rod 20, as illustrated in FIGURE 2. Thereupon, the ice making unit 18 is unbalanced,

' by the dashed line 162 causes end of the reservoir 148 opposite the connection of and rotates about the rod 21 to assume the dotted position illustrtaed in FIGURE 2 by the reference numeral 162. In this position, the assembly 83 is disposed above the assembly 8 2.

Rotation of the ice making unit 18 from the position shown in solid lines in FIGUREZ to the position shown the weight 124 of the gravity actuated valve to shift and causes the closure member 138 to seal against the valve seat 134. The high pressure refrigerant is now free to flow through the stem 132, and a tube 164 connects the stem- 132 to the end of the tube 84 of the assembly 82 adjacent to the plate 86. The high pressure refrigerant now heats the assembly 82 to release the ice therein. The end of the tube 84 opposite the plate 86 is connected through a capillary tube 166 to the end of plate 88. The opposite end of this tube 74 is connected to the tube 146 by a tube 168 connected to a port 169. In this manner, the assembly 83 is disposed in a position to receive water from the distributor 56 and also subjected to the cool side of the refrigerant-cycle. The process described above with relation to freezing of cubes in the assembly 82 is now repeated for the assembly 83.

-requiring flexible coupling in the refrigerant circuit --with' only the electrical cable -52 being flexible .andbend- It is to be noted that the entire assembly of compressor 42,fan motor 46, and fan 48 has rotated with theice making unit 18. r A hearing 170 is disposed between the'wall 26 and the rod to facilitate rotation,-and'balance-is fmaintained -for the entire assembly-of ice making unit f 18 and compressor unit which includes the compressor 42, coil 44, and fan motor-46. It is thusapparent that the rotated between stops without and ice makingunit 18may be ing with this motion.

From the foregoing disclosure, those skilled in the art will devisemany modifications of the present invention within its intendedscope. Further, the present invention may be utilized with other devices th-anihere disclosed. It F -is therefore intended that the scope of the present invention be not'limitedby theforegoing disclosure, but rather only by the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. An ice making machine comprising an ice making tioning the second surface at approximately the same acute angle to the horizontal, the center of gravity of the unit being between the first and second surfaces on the 'side of the pivotal axis remote from the intersection of the extensions of the first and second surfaces, and a refrigeration system mounted on the ice making unit and rotatable therewith including a first conduit means adjacent to the first surface and a second conduit means adjacent to the second surface, said refrigeration system having a refrigerant circulating circuit with a high pressure portion and a low pressure portion, said refrigeration system having .control means responsive to the rotational position of the unit for connecting the first conduit means into the high pressure portion of the system and the second conduit means into the low pressure portion of the circulating system when the second surface of the ice-making unit is disposed at an acute angle to the horizontal and for connecting the second conduit means into the high pressure portion of the system and the first conduit means into the low pressure portion of the circulating system when the first surface is at an acute angle to the horizontal.

2. An ice making machine comprising an ice making unit having a first thermally conducting surface and a second thermally conducting surface disposed on an acute angle to the first surface, means for pivotally mounting the ice making unit on an axis including a rod and rotational stop means for limiting the clockwise and counterclockwise rotation of the unit, clockwise rotation being limited to positioning the first surface at an acute angle to the horizontal and counterclockwise rotation being limited to positioning the second surface at approximately the same acute angle to the horizontal, the center of gravity of the unit being between the first and second surfaces on the side of the pivotal axis remote from the intersection of the extensions of the first and second surface, and a refrigeration system mounted on the rod and rotatable with the rod, said rod having two channels therein, the refrigeration system having a first conduit means disposed adjacent to the first surface and a second conduit means disposed adjacent to the second surface, and a refrigerant circulating circuit with a high pressure portion including one of the channels of the rod and a low pressure portion including the other channel of the rod, said refrigeration system having control means connected between the rod and the first and second conduit means responsive to the rotational position of the unit for connecting the high pressure channel of the rod to the first con- 7 face.

channel" of 'the rod to thefirst conduit-means when the first'surface of the ice-making uni-t is disposed at an acute angle to the horizontal.

3. An ice making machine comprising the elements of claim Z in combination'with a cabinetidisposedabout the icemaking unit, the rod extending through awall of the cabinet and the refrigeration system'includinga compressor mounted on the rod on the side of thecabinet wall opposite theice making unit.

4. An-ice making machine comprising-an ice making unit having a first thermally conducting surface and a second thermally conducting surface disposed atian acute angle to the first surface, means for pivotally mounting the ice making unit on an axis parallel to the surfaces including rotational stop'means for limiting the clockwise and counterclockwiserotation of the unit, clockwise rotation being limited to positioning the first surface at an acute angle to the horizontal and the second; surface approximately horizontal, and counterclockwise rotation 1 being limited to positioning the second surface at an acute angle to the horizontal andthe first surface approximately horizontal, thecenter of gravity of said unit being between the two surfaces on the side of the rotational axis remote from the axis of intersection of the extensions of said surfaces, and a refrigeration system mounted on the ice making unit and rotatable therewith including first and second refrigerant passages in thermal relationship with the first and second surfaces, respectively, first and second ducts in thermal relationship with the first and second surfaces, respectively, a first flow restricting means connecting one end of the first passage to one end of the second duct, a second fiow restricting rneans'connecting one end of the second passage to one end of the first duct, a compressor having *a low pressure side and a high pressure side, an expansion tank mounted on the ice-making unit having a first port adjacent to the first surface connected to the other end of the second pasage and a second port adjacent to the second surface connected to the other end of the first passage, said expansion tank having a third port located between the first and second ports connected to the low pressure side of the compressor, and valve means connected to the high pressure side of the compressor and to the other end of the first and second ducts responsive to the rotational position of the unit for connecting the high pressure side of the compressor to the duct in thermal relation with the horizontal sur- 5. An ice making machine comprising an ice making unit having a first thermally conducting surface and a second thermally conducting surface disposed at an acute angle to the first surface, means for rotatably mounting the ice making unit including a rod having a first channel and a second channel extending therethrough, said means including rotational stop means for limiting the clockwise and counterclockwise rotation of the unit, clockwise rotation being limited to positioning the first surface at an acute angle to the horizontal and the second surface approximately horizontal, and counterclockwise rotation being limited to positioning the second surface at an acute angle to the horizontal and the first surface approximately horizontal, and a refrigeration system having a compressor unit mounted on the rod and including a high pressure port sealed to the first channel of the rod and a low pres sure port sealed to the second channel of the rod, said refrigeration system also including first and second refrigerant passages in thermal relationship with the first and second surfaces, respectively, first and second ducts in thermal relationship with the first and second surfaces, respectively, a first flow restricting means connecting one end of the first passage to one end of the second duct, a

second flow restricting means connecting one end of the second passage to one end of the first duct, an expansion tank mounted on the ice making unit having a first port 'adjacent to. the :first surface connected to the other end of the second passage, a second port adjacent to the second surface connected to the other end of the first passage,

said expansion tank having a third port located between the first and second portsconnected to the second channel of the rod, and valve means connected to the first channel of the rod and to the other end of the first and second ducts responsive to the rotational position of the unit for connecting the high pressure side of the compressorto the duct .in thermal relation with thehorizontal surface.

6. An ice making machine'comprising the elements of claim 5 wherein the'rod comprises a hollow tube and the .tube contains a coaxial sleeve therein, the first channel being the region between the'inside of the hollow tube and the sleeve and the second channel being the region within the sleeve.

7. An ice making machine comprising the elements of 20 claim 5 in combination with a cabinet having a pair of parallel walls disposed on opposite sides of the ice making .unit, the rod extending through one of the walls and the compressor unit being disposed on the opposite side of said wall from the ice making unit.

References Cited lay the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,584,243 5/26 Perkins 62-499 X 2,545,558. 3/55 Russell 62352 X 3,001,384 9/61 Hanson ROBERT. A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner, MEYER PERLIN, Examiner. 

1. AN ICE MAKING MACHINE COMPRISING AN ICE MAKING UNIT HAVING A FIRST THERMALLY CONDUCTING SURFACE AND A SECOND THERMALLY CONDUCTING SURFACE DISPOSED AT AN ACUTE ANGLE TO THE FIRST SURFACE, MEANS FOR PIVOTALLY MOUNTING THE ICE MAKING UNIT ON AN AXIS INCLUDING ROTATIONAL STOP MEANS FOR LIMITING THE CLOCKWISE AND COUNTERCLOCKWISE ROTATION OF THE UNIT, THE CLOCKWISE ROTATION BEING LIMITED TO POSITIONING THE FIRST SURFACE AT AN ACUTE ANGLE TO THE HORIZONTAL AND COUNTERCLOCKWISE ROTATION BEING LIMITED TO POSITIONING THE SECOND SURFACE AT APPROXIMATELY THE SAME ACUTE ANGLE TO THE HORIZONTAL, THE CENTER OF GRAVITY OF THE UNIT BEING BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND SURFACES ON THE SIDE OF THE PIVOTAL AXIS REMOTE FROM THE INTERSECTION OF THE EXTENSIONS OF THE FIRST AND SECOND SURFACES, AND A REFRIGERATION SYSTEM MOUNTED ON THE ICE MAKING UNIT AND ROTATABLE THEREWITH INCLUDING A FIRST CONDUIT MEANS ADJACENT TO THE FIRST SURFACE AND A SECOND CONDUIT MEANS ADJACENT TO THE SECOND SURFACE, SAID REFRIGERATION SYSTEM HAVING A REGRIGERANT CIRCULATING CIRCUIT WITH A HIGH PRESSURE PORTION AND A LOW PRESSURE PORTION, SAID REFRIGERATION SYSTEM HAVING CONTROL MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE ROTATIONAL POSITION OF THE 